Replaceable tread on an expanding diameter car carcass tire

ABSTRACT

A vehicle tire which provides a simple means of mounting, dismounting, or exchanging tire treads. The tire carcass is designed in such a manner that the diameter increases by 15 percent or more when the tire is inflated to operating or operable pressure. On the carcass, in place of the conventional integral tread there is a wide annular groove or channel having spaced sidewalls. The tread comprises an annular nonstretchable flexible band or belt which snugly fits in the channel between the sidewalls. When the tire is inflated and expands radially outwardly, the nonexpandable tread is securely and firmly held in place in the channel, but it can be removed and replaced when the tire is deflated. The interengaging inner annular surface of the tread member or band and the outer surface or bottom of the tread receiving channel may be formed with complemental, interengaging means or lugs which are forced into interengagement with each other when the annular tread band is fitted into the channel and the tire is inflated to resist relative slippage between the tire and the annular belt tread member.

United States Patent [72] Inventor Aivars V. Petersons 1925 Little YorkRoad, Dayton, Ohio 45414 [21] Appl. No. 760,931 [22] Filed Sept. 19,1968 {45] Patented May 11, 1971 [54] REPLACEABLE TREAD ON AN EXPANDINGDIAMETER CAR CARCASS TIRE 2 Claim, 11 Drawing Figs.

[52] US. Cl 152/187 [51] 1nt.Cl B60c 11/02 [50] Field ofSeareh 152/176,187, 175

[56] References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 3,224,482 12/1965 Barassi eta1 152/176 FOREIGN PATENTS Primary E.raminer lames B. MarbertAttorneys-Harry A. Herbert. Jr. and Charles H. Wagner ABSTRACT: Avehicle tire which provides a simple means of mounting, dismounting. orexchanging tire treads. The tire carcass is designed in such a mannerthat the diameter increases by 15 percent or more when the tire isinflated to operating or operable pressure. On the carcass. in place ofthe conventional integral tread there is a wide annular groove orchannel having spaced sidewalls. The tread comprises an annularnonstretchable flexible band or belt which snugly fits in the channelbetween the sidewalls. When the tire is inflated and expands radiallyoutwardly, the nonexpandable tread is securely and firmly held in placein the channel. but it can be removed and replaced when the tire isdeflated. The interengaging inner annular surface of the tread member orband and the outer surface or bottom of the tread receiving channel maybe formed with complemental, interengaging means or lugs which areforced into interengagement with each other when the annular tread bandis fitted into the channel and the tire is inflated to resist relativeslippage between the tire and the annular belt tread member.

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sum 2 OF 2 SEA'QRQQE 4 IN VENTOR, 4/4 19?! ll. P672230 BY d v pizza/ven-REPLACEABLE TREAD ON AN EXPANDING DIAMETER CAR CARCASS TIRE I BACKGROUNDOF THE INVENTION Vehicle tires, especially aircraft tires, are oftenremoved from aircraft, and many other vehicles, because of tread cutsand tread damage, long before the tread portions have been worn out.Most of these tires are scrapped and new tires obtained to replace themlong before the useful life of the tire carcass has been utilized. Whenthe treads on ordinary tires have been worn down beyond acceptablelimits, they are either scrapped or transported back to a suitablefacility to be retreaded."

The subject invention obviates this waste and delay, and permits thetire carcass to be used, even when the tread has been badly cut, worn ordamaged. It enables crews to deflate the cut or worn tread tires, removethe damaged tread and replace the same with a new tread which, uponinflation, is securely held in place on the tire carcass. This can berepeated until the tire carcass life has been used up. New tireprocurement, expense and time will be drastically reduced, and tireretreading is eliminated. Logistics costs are also reduced, becauseinstead of shipping whole tires for replacement or retreading, only newtreads will have to be sent and replaced.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWING Other objects and advantages of theinvention will become apparent from the following description andaccompanying drawing in which like referencecharacters refer to likeparts in the several FIGS. thereof.

FIG. I is a transverse sectional view, partly in perspective, takenthrough a tire and rim and incorporating the invention, showing the tireinflated with the removable tread therefor in place.

FIG. 2 is a somewhat similar fragmentary sectional view partly inperspective showing the tire deflated with the annular tread band inposition above its receiving channel.

FIG. 3 is a side view of a'vehicle tire employed in the invention, partsbeing broken away to show the tread receiving channel.

FIG. 4 is a view in elevation of a portion of the annular nonstretchableband portion of the tire, constituting the renewable tire tread portion.

FIG. 5 is a somewhat schematic sectional view of the expansible tirecarcass portion showing the annular tread receiving channel.

FIG. 6 is a sectional view similar to FIG. 5 showing the renewableannular tread portion in position for seating in the tread receivingchannel.

FIG. 7 is a view similar to FIG. 6 but schematically showing the treadportion snugly seated in place by inflationand radial expansion of thetire carcass. FIGS. 8, 9 and 10 are sectional views, similar to FIGS. 5,6 and 7 but illustrating schematically a slightly modified form ofannular tread receiving channel and nonstretchable annular tread member,and

FIG. 11 is a sectional view taken about on line 11-11 in FIG. 7 butillustrating a slightly modified interengaging portion between thebottom of the tread band member receiving channel and the inner surfaceof the nonstretchable tread band.

Referring to the drawing, and more particularly to FIGS. 1 to 4, thereference numeral 1 denotes an inflatable tire, made in accordance withthe invention, and comprising a resilient flexible and inflatable andradially expandable carcass2 with suitable fabric reinforcing material3. The numeral 4 denotes the tire beads of somewhat conventionalconfiguration to seat in a conventional, preferably soliddrop center rim5 and pro vides adequate air sealing relation between the tire carcass 2and the rim flanges 6.

The tire carcass 2 is formed with an annular tread receiving widechannel 7, having a width about equal to the conventional width of theusual tire tread.

Thetread receiving channel 7 is formed in the carcass 2 with oppositespaced annular walls or retaining abutment surfaces 8 which may bereinforced by suitable annular cables 9, if desired.

The numeral 10 denotes an annular removable tread portion having a'treadwidth to be snugly received in the channel 7 between the annular spacedwall surfaces 8. This tread or belt portion 10 is nonexpansible, andpreferably provided with the annular reinforcing layer or layers offabric 11 and additional cable bands 12. The outer surface of the treadband 10 is preferably made of the usual tread" rubber and molded with asuitable nonskid design tread I3.

The tire carcass 2 is radially expansible, upon inflation up to at least15 percent, at least that portion located in the annular channel 7,between the channel sidewalls 8. The belt tread portion 10 is howeversuitably reinforced by the annular fabric strands II, and if desired thecables, and therefore is not radially expansible.

In replacing or renewing the tread portion 10 the carcass is deflated,somewhat similar to that shown in FIG. 2 to permit the tread bandportion or belt 10 to be slipped or forced over the periphery of thecarcass and into the annular tread receiving channel 7. The innerdiameter of the nonexpansible tread member or belt 10 is less than thediameter of the tire carcass when'fully inflated,'without the tread band10 in position in the channel 7.

Therefore, with the removable tread belt in position and the tirecarcass 2 fully inflated, as seen in FIGS. 1 and 7, the tread becomesfinnly and tightly seated in the channel 7, and against the channelsidewalls 8.

When the tread of the tire becomes sufficiently worn, or is cut ordamaged, it is only necessary to deflate the tire as seen in FIGS. 2 and6 and the removable tread portion can be easily pried out of the channel7 and replaced by a similar new tread band. Upon inflation, the newtread will firmly and tightly seat in the channel '7 with sufficientfriction to prevent slippage between the periphery of the carcass 2 andthe tread band 10.

Should a more positive interlock between the renewable tread l0 and thecarcass 2 be desired, as seen in FIG. 11, the bottom 70 of the channel7b of the carcass may be provided with annularly spaced driving lugmembers 14 and the inner surface of the annular renewable tread memberor belt 10a may be formed with corresponding or complemental'lug members15 which fit between, and interlock with, the lug members 14 to preventrelative circular movement between the tire carcass 7c and the treadmember 10a.

The structure shown in FIGS. 8 to 10 is quite similar to theconstruction shown in FIGS. 1 to 7 except that the transverse sectionalshape of the tire, indicated at 16, and that of the removable orreplaceable tread member or band 17 are a little different from thatshown in FIGS. .1 to 7.

The tire l6,'as shown, is provided with an annular, relatively widechannel 18 with spaced side or abutment walls 19 to snugly receive thewider annular tread member 20 in the channel 18 between the sidewalls19, the tire carcass 16 being radially expandable, especially betweenthe annular shoulders.

The annular tread member 17 is nonexpandable radially, and its innersurface 21 is curved in cross section to accurately and tightly fit thechannel 18 when the tire carcass is inflated. Asthe tire carcass ininflated, as seen inFIG. 10, the tire expands radially outward againstthe inner curved portion 21 of the tread member 17 and is securely heldin position in .the channel 18 between the sidewalls.

The reference numerals 22 denote flexible reinforcing nonstretchablefabrics in the renewable tread band member 17 to resist radial expansionof the tread portion 17 as the tire carcass is inflated.

If desired, suitable flexible reinforcing means 23 may be provided inthe tire carcass 17 to limit the amount of radial .expansion of thecarcass as the same is inflated.

The replaceable or renewable tread band 17 may be made of toughresilient flexible tread material with the outer surface formed ormolded to provide an outer suitable nonskid surface, as indicated at 24.

lclaim:

l. A vehicle tire comprising an inflatable tire carcass member ofstretchable fabric, and having an annular and substantiallynonreinforced tread member-receiving channel portion formed in theperiphery thereof and a pair of spacedapart, upraised shoulder portionsforming opposite sides, and

defining the limits of, the said channel portions; a flexible, resilientand nonstretchable annular tread member dimensioned to a fixed diametermeasuring substantially less than that of the expanded diameter of saidtire carcass member and further being of a width to thereby snugly seatin said treadreceiving channel portion in tight-fitting relation betweensaid upraised shoulder portions when said tire carcass member is

1. A vehicle tire comprising an inflatable tire carcass member ofstretchable fabric, and having an annular and substantiallynonreinforced tread member-receiving channel portion formed in theperiphery thereof and a pair of spaced-apart, upraised shoulder portionsforming opposite sides, and defining the limits of, the said channelportions; a flexible, resilient and nonstretchable annular tread memberdimensioned to a fixed diameter measuring substantially less than thatof the expanded diameter of said tire carcass member and further beingof a width to thereby snugly seat in said tread-receiving channelportion in tight-fitting relation between said upraised shoulderportions when said tire carcass member is inflated; and reinforcingmeans built into each of said upraised shoulder portions and providingsubstantial local resistance to any inflation pressure applied to saidtire carcass member to thereby ensure the concentration of a significantproportion of the said inflation pressure and thus the expansionresulting therefrom at the said tread-receiving channel portion to morefirmly seal the said tread member in said channel portion.
 2. A vehicletire as set forth in claim 1, wherein said reinforcing means comprisesadditional, annularly-disposed fabric cable members integrally formed insaid upraised shoulder portions of said tire carcass member.